POTATO FARMERS RECIPIENT OF CARGO TRUCK; THANKS TO FPDA
Picture Caption: Mr Joe Drua and wife, 10th farmer recipient of cargo truck under the Market for Village Farmers (MVF) project.
By Vicky BAUNKE, Goroka EHP
A LOCAL potato farmer and his wife in Simbu Province drove off with a brand-new vehicle at the FPDA’s headquarters in Goroka on Wednesday; thanks to the Fresh Produce Development Authority (FPDA) Market for Village farmers (MVF) project.
The Department of Agriculture and Livestock is the lead executing agency in the MVF project while the Fresh Produce Development Agency (FPDA) is the implementing agency for the project backed by Provincial teams composed of FPDA and district staff to support and monitor partnership development and implementation.
The Mitnande Agricultural Supplies from Gembogl in Simbu Province is the 10th recipient of a cargo truck to improve its farming production among 9 others in the region through the investment component of the MVF project.
The 9 other cargo trucks were procured and purchased for MVF partners in WHP, Jiwaka, Simbu and Morobe .
The MVF project is funded by the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD) and the Government of Papua New Guinea.
Mitnande Agricultural Supplies Managing Director Mr Joe Drua is the tenth (10th) farmer among 9 others to benefit from the MVF 60 /40 % investment component of the MVF project.
Mr Drua who specialises in potatoe farming in the Gembogl area in Simbu Province thanked the MVF Provincial Coordinator David Kaupa, Provincial officers and the FPDA through the CEO for their efforts in boosting the dreams of local farmers and has been involved in the agricultural activity for more than 10 years.
He said the cargo truck will help boost agricultural activity for a total of 148 farmers who work under him to transport their vegetables to the market.
Meanwhile, Simbu Provincial MVF Coordinator Mr David Kaupa said there are a total of 10 partners in the project in Simbu and described the presentation as a great achievement under the MVF project in the partnership arrangement in building the capacity for lead partners in the for project benefit in a selling 60% to 40% arrangement which allocates for the lead partners to identify potential investment areas to add value to the MVF project.
He thanked the Simbu Provincial MVF officers, the MVF Coordinator in the country for making the dream come true as a big breakthrough for a rural farmer in the agricultural industry in PNG.
The project’s development goal is to achieve sustainable increased returns to village farming households from increased marketed production.
The project will predominantly focus on the fresh produce sub-sector which involves approximately 94% of village farmers across PNG.
In addition, the project provides limited investment to pilot activities focused on stimulating the development of the galip nut value chain as this has potential to become a new export cash crop for village farmers in PNG.
He also thanked the PNG government and DFAT for its partnership to deliver such project to boost the agricultural industry in the country which has never been seen before since independence. He described it as a milestone achievement for farmers who entirely depend on fresh produce for their livelihoods especially in Simbu and thanked the FPDA management under the CEO for the achievement so far.
The project targets six provinces of PNG in activities related to the fresh produce sub-sector will be implemented in four provinces in the Highlands Region (Western Highlands, Jiwaka, Simbu and Eastern Highlands) and one province in the Momase Region, Morobe while Galip nut related activities will be implemented in East New Britain.
